May 21, Colombo: Sri Lanka University lecturers' union, Federation of University Teachers' Associations (FUTA) announced yesterday that they would hold an island wide token strike on June 3rd.

FUTA said Tuesday that the Ministry of Higher Education had failed to oblige to the memorandum of understanding agreed at the end of the continuous strike of the university teachers two years back.

The FUTA warned that the token strike if carried out as planned will bring academic activities at universities island wide to a standstill.

The university lecturers have presented six demands which they have called on the authorities to address.

Among the demands is to appoint a high level committee to address undergraduate grievances and recommend solutions to address them.

FUTA also demands the removal of the conditions of the research allowance of the university teachers, increase in the basic salary by an amount similar to the research allowance, abolition of gazettes pertaining to the establishment of private universities, appointment of a special Presidential Commission to monitor the reforms in higher education and to have biannual discussions between the FUTA and the vice chancellors' federation.